Heroes of the week: 2 Connecticut horses rescued by 40 people from mud

It took 40 emergency workers 5 hours to free 2 horses who were deep in mud. The Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department (LVFD) were called in to help them, and it was a big operation. The LVFD were also assisted by others from   North Windham Fire Department Rescue,  Kukucka/Snow Deuce and a Half Stirrup Fun Stables Rescue, Inc.,  Durham Animal Response Team - DART,  Fenton River Veterinary Hospital Montville, and the Salvation Army Canteen. Here's the story of this week's heroes.

  Caption: Emergency workers rescue a horse that was stuck in mud in a Connecticut forest on Sunday. Photograph: Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department

 2 Connecticut horses rescued from mud after emergency workers built bridge

  REPORT FROM THE Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department Inc.

Up to 40 first responders toiled for hours in a Connecticut forest to successfully rescue two horses who had become stuck in a muddy swamp on a local farm.

At approximately 2pm today a call was made to the LVFD reporting 2 horses stuck in the mud well behind the farm. LVFD personnel responded to the scene to assess the situation and quickly determined that this was going to require a Fire Dept response.

2 Horses were stuck ¾ of the mile into the woods in a swampy area. They had wandered into the area and became stuck up to their undersides. The Farm and FD units discussed activating the Durham Animal Response Team (DART) who had experience with large animals being stuck in the mud.

LVFD Units set up a staging area on North Street and requested the assistance of Dave Kukucka and Chris Snow to utilize their Deuce and Half vehicle to shuttle equipment and personnel into the scene. 'The access road was complete mud and there was a river to cross ½ way in.

The LVFD UTV, Car 6’s Vehicle, a farm truck, and the Deuce and a Half shuttled in close to 40 personnel and the necessary ropes, wood, saws, plywood, rescue equipment, Vet Supplies, Food and Water.

LVFD Units cleared a roadway and constructed a make shift bridge utilizing logs, cribbing, plywood and signs. The area was not accessible for equipment and would require manpower to extricate them from the woods.

DART arrived and went to work setting up their Sled equipment. The goal was to roll the horses out of the mud, which was waist deep for rescuers, onto their sled device. Once on the sled all personnel would work together to pull them over the make shift bridge and up onto flat ground approx. 30 yards from the swamp.

North Windham Rescue 102 was requested to the scene to assist with setting up dual rope systems, as the 2nd horse was considerably more stuck in the mud than the first. Those systems were ultimately not needed in the end but the significant manpower was necessary.

The first extrication started at 1625 and was complete at 1656. The 2nd extrication started at 1715 and was complete at 1748.

A vet from Fenton River Vets arrived and assessed both horses on scene. Both were in mild distress and one had been stuck in the mud and water for over 7 hours. At 1821 both horses had been warmed up enough to stand and we are happy to report both got up without issue and were happily eating some fresh hay. 

 1852 All Rescue Personnel out of the woods – No injuries reported. The DART team were great to work with and are an incredible asset to have here in the state. Total Rescue Time: 5 Hours Units who operated on scene. 

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RESCUERS:  Command – Car 6 - Chief Operations – Car 1006 Staging – Car 506 Rescue 106 Service 106 UTV 106 Forestry 106 Ambulance 506 North Windham Fire Department Rescue 102 Kukucka/Snow Deuce and a Half Stirrup Fun Stables Rescue, Inc. Frank Himmelstein Durham Animal Response Team - DART Fenton River Veterinary Hospital Montville/Salvation Army Canteen